Employee Feedback Programs: How HR Departments Can Overcome the 3 Most Common Challenges

HR departments face many challenges when it comes to tracking, following up, and resolving employee feedback. HR's intentions are often good in wanting to make the workplace a safe, comfortable, and healthy environment for their employees. Unfortunately, challenges in logistics, efficiency, messaging, and staffing can lead to employee reports never being resolved or even collected at all.

In fact, it's become more important than ever to have processes in place for handling employee feedback. If employees feel they don't have a channel to voice their concerns, or they never see a resolution, they may turn to public platforms instead. And once employees take their concerns public, the time to handle an issue internally has passed, and an organization will have an even bigger problem, with the potential of risking brand, revenue, and reputation.

Despite an increased awareness of the need to address issues such as workplace harassment, discrimination, and bias, problems continue to persist. Pew reports that 44% of all workers and 59% of women have been the target of unwanted harassment.

However, through some effort and a focus on the end goal of improving employees' lives, organizations can turn challenges into opportunities. Here are the top challenges HR departments encounter when trying to manage employee feedback and advice on how to overcome them.

Managing employee feedback—top challenges

Challenge #1: HR team bandwidth

Many HR departments are already stretched thin and don't have the bandwidth to adequately process employee feedback. A new report found upwards of 80% of HR professionals have experienced higher workloads due to pandemic-related effects. Current staff don't have margin in their schedules to follow through on reports; nor do they have the budgets to hire additional staff. They also may not have an efficient process in place for dealing with employee feedback.

How to overcome the challenge: Getting more time and resources allotted to an HR department to better handle feedback is a challenge in itself, but goes back to understanding the value of a successful employee feedback program. If your organization commits to establishing a well-implemented and well-run employee feedback program, then the conversation around reallocating time and resources to managing that program becomes easier.

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Challenge #2: Successful employee adoption

An organization may implement a program to source and process employee feedback, but if employees are not taking advantage of the program, then it has failed. Or, if employees are using the program, but there's no plan to fully process and resolve reports behind-the-scenes, then it has also failed.

When creating a program, you not only need employee buy-in (which can be tricky if employees are used to an organization that half-heartedly cares about feedback), but you also need follow-through.

How to overcome the challenge: Go all in by rolling out a program in which you take a long-term approach. Don't just send out an email at the launch and then move on. Start your planning by gathering employee input on feedback programs. In fact, McKinsey & Company reports that employee engagement early in the planning process is a “key success factor” for implementing change in a company. Also, when the change process is broken down into "clearly defined smaller initiatives,” employees are more “able to participate in shaping those change initiatives.”

Build trust among employees by being transparent about your goals and intentions for the program. Talk about the feedback program at meetings, both company-wide and with individual teams. Reiterate the importance of sharing feedback, and don't be afraid to overcommunicate.

Challenge #3: Infrequent or passive feedback

Many organizations don’t take a proactive approach to feedback. They think that by sending out a once-a-year survey, or simply announcing an open-door policy, they can just wait for feedback to come to them. But issues in the workplace don't just happen once a year, nor is every employee comfortable with dropping in on their manager (what if the manager is the problem?). Employee feedback needs a proactive, comprehensive, and ongoing approach.

How to overcome the challenge: Shift from passivity to action. Understanding the value of gathering employee feedback in order to improve the work environment will help you focus on why you should actively seek out feedback, talk about it at meetings, and make an effort to keep it top-of-mind with your employees. Have your goals for your feedback program in sight, and use data to inform your efforts to improve feedback.

Sam Hodges, co-founder of Funding Circle, suggests leaders should “set up clear forums and channels through which people can give each other feedback—in all directions—and do so within guardrails that are appropriate for your culture.” He also notes that “creating this type of environment takes continual work and practice by everyone involved; it probably won't happen naturally.”

Overcoming barriers to employee feedback

There are certainly barriers to implementing a successful employee feedback program—far more than are included in this article. But with a commitment to improving the lives of employees, as well as greater efficiencies and bandwidth for HR teams, organizations can set themselves up for a better future for all, and out of the media’s eye.

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